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TOWN AND FORT OF SEAUA. 



long street on the north side of the square, which 

 runs in a parallel direction, but is unconnected 

 with it. The dwellings have only a ground-floor, 

 and the streets are not paved ; but some of the 

 houses have foot-paths of brick in front. It 

 contains three churches, the Governor's palace, 

 the town-hall and prison, a custom-house, and 

 the treasury. The number of inhabitants I 

 judge to be from one thousand to twelve hun- 

 dred. The fort, from which the place derives 

 its name, stands upon a sand-hill close to the 

 town, and consists of a sand or earth rampart 

 towards the sea, and of stakes driven into the 

 ground on the land-side ; it contained four or 

 five pieces of cannon of several sizes, which 

 were pointed various ways ; and I observed that 

 the gun of heaviest metal was mounted on the 

 land side. Those which pointed to the sea 

 were not of sufficient calibre to have reached a 

 vessel in the usual anchorage ground. The 

 powder-magazine is situated upon another part 

 of the sand-hill, in full view of the harbour. 

 There is not much to invite the preference 

 given to this spot j it has no river, nor any har- 

 bour, and the beach is bad to land upon ; the 

 breakers are violent, and the recife or reef of 

 rocks affords very little protection to vessels 

 riding at anchor upon the coast. The settle- 

 ment was formerly situated three leagues to the 

 northward, upon a narrow creek, where there 



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